Founder still works at business that turns 60 Saturday

Saturday

May 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMMay 30, 2009 at 9:06 AM

Earl Fulling started Northern Illinois Optical on Madison Street in 1949 with one other employee. Today the business remains on Madison Street, although it moved to a different side long ago, and has grown to 16 employees.

Alex Gary

Earl Fulling started Northern Illinois Optical on Madison Street in 1949 with one other employee.

Today the business remains on Madison Street, although it moved to a different side long ago, and has grown to 16 employees.

The neighboring businesses, which included motorcycle sales and manufacturing shops, have all changed hands or industries several times over.

But the one constant on Madison Street: Earl Fulling still comes into work at 90. He doesn’t practice optometry anymore, but he retains his CEO title and helps where he can. His son, Mike, is the president. The business celebrates its 60th anniversary Saturday as a downtown anchor, although celebrates is a strong word. There is no official ceremony planned.

“We had many, many opportunities to move elsewhere, but in the end, I didn’t feel like going,” Fulling said. “This isn’t the easiest place to find, but we still see more than 100 people a day.”

Because of the service and convenient location to the downtown anchors — mainly City Hall and the Public Safety Building — Fulling has taken care of the eyes of Rockford mayors from Ben Schleicher and Charles Box to Larry Morrissey as well as former state lawmaker Zeke Giorgi. Fulling’s office walls are lined with pictures of people he has worked with.

“We treat our customers well so they keep coming back,” Fulling said. “That’s the key to doing good business.”

Reach Assistant Business Editor Alex Gary at agary@rrstar.com or 815-987-1339.